Angel~

I received one of the best compliments from a patients son today at work. I had an elderly male who was found down at home after he had taken a spill down a small flight of stairs. He had multiple facial fractures & was having an open reduction & internal fixation (in layman's terms repair the fractures). Upon introducing myself to the patient first (as the son was speaking with the surgeon) I told him who I was & that I was going to be his operating room nurse. I asked him his name & date of birth (a legality that we have to abide by to ensure that we have the correct patient) & he answered me correctly. His son looked at me in disbelief & stated that his father has been very confused since his fall & was not aware of his name or DOB. I told the elderly patient that it looked as though he's had a very rough couple of days as he had horrible bruises, lacerations & bandages covering his entire body. He replied with, "This is all part of getting old." I then replied with, "So you're telling me that this is what I have to look forward to?" He laughed, grabbed my hand & squeezed it with strength. I then explained my role in his surgery & told the son that I would notify him once the surgeon had started the procedure. I shook both the patient & his sons hands & told them that it was nice meeting them. As I was walking away I heard the son tell his father, "You have an angel of a nurse watching over you in surgery dad." Hearing those words warmed my heart & put a huge smile on my face. I interact with so many people throughout the week & there are many times that I truly don't feel that I touch peoples lives as I did when I was a floor nurse. These simple words meant more to me than anything I've heard in a long time & it's these simple words that make being a nurse so rewarding!